PlatformIO IDE for Atom¶

1. Atom package (auto-installer)¶

• Download and install official GitHub’s Atom text editor, PlatformIO IDE is built on top of it

• Open Atom Package Manager and Install platformio-ide package (auto installer)

  • Mac OS X, Menu: Atom > Preferences > Install

  • Windows, Menu: File > Settings > Install

  • Linux, Menu: Edit > Preferences > Install

2. Clang for Intelligent Code Completion¶

PlatformIO IDE uses Clang for the Intelligent Code Completion. To check that clang is available in your system, please open Terminal and run clang --version. If clang is not installed, then install it and restart Atom:

• Mac OS X: Install the latest Xcode along with the latest Command Line Tools (they are installed automatically when you run clang in Terminal for the first time, or manually by running xcode-select --install

• Windows: Download the latest Clang for Windows. Please select “Add LLVM to the system PATH” option on the installation step.

  

  Warning

  If you see Failed to find MSBuild toolsets directory error in the installation console, please ignore it and press any key to close this window. PlatformIO IDE uses only Clang completion engine that should work after it without any problems.

• Linux: Using package managers: apt-get install clang or yum install clang.

• Other Systems: Download the latest Clang for the other systems.

Launch¶

After installation, you launch PlatformIO IDE by opening Atom. Once Atom is open, PlatformIO IDE auto installer will continue to install dependent packages and PlatformIO Core. Please be patient and let the installation complete. In the final result PlatformIO IDE will ask you to reload Atom window to apply installed components. Please click on Reload Now. After it PlatformIO IDE is ready for using. Happy coding!

Setting Up the Project¶

1. To create a new project choose Menu: PlatformIO > Initialize new Project or update existing or press the corresponding icon in the PlatformIO toolbar as shown in the image below:

2. In the “New Project Menu” choose desired boards (more than one board is allowed) and select a project directory. Then press “Initialize” button:

3. If everything is fine, you should see the success message and project tree in the left panel:

4. Now, let’s create the first project source file: right-click on the folder src and choose New File:

Enter filename main.cpp:

Copy the next source code to the just created file main.cpp:

/**
 * Blink
 *
 * Turns on an LED on for one second,
 * then off for one second, repeatedly.
 */
#include "Arduino.h"

#ifndef LED_BUILTIN
#define LED_BUILTIN 13
#endif

void setup()
{
  // initialize LED digital pin as an output.
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);

  // wait for a second
  delay(1000);

  // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);

   // wait for a second
  delay(1000);
}

Process Project¶

PlatformIO IDE proposes different ways to process project (build, clean, upload firmware, run other targets) using:

• PlatformIO Toolbar

• Menu item PlatformIO

• Building / Uploading / Targets and hotkeys

5. Run Build and you should see green “success” result in the building panel:

To upload firmware to the board run Upload.

6. What is more, you can run specific target or process project environment using Menu: PlatformIO > Run other target... or call targets list from the status bar (bottom, left corner):

And select desired target:

7. To run built-in terminal interface choose Menu: PlatformIO > Terminal or press the corresponding icon in the PlatformIO toolbar:

It provides you fast access to all set of powerful PlatformIO Core CLI commands:

8. To run built-in “Serial Monitor” choose Menu: PlatformIO > Serial Monitor or press the corresponding icon in the PlatformIO toolbar:

It has several settings to adjust your connection:

And allows you to communicate with your board in an easy way:

Menu item PlatformIO¶

platformio-ide package adds to Atom new menu item named Menu: PlatformIO (after Menu: Help item).

PlatformIO Toolbar¶

PlatformIO IDE Toolbar contains the quick access button to the popular commands. Each button contains hint (delay mouse on it).

• PlatformIO: Build

• PlatformIO: Upload

• PlatformIO: Clean

• ||

• Initialize new PlatformIO Project or update existing…

• Add/Open Project Folder…

• Find in Project…

• ||

• Terminal

• Library Manager

• Serial Monitor

• ||

• Settings

• PlatformIO Documentation

Building / Uploading / Targets¶

• cmd-alt-b / ctrl-alt-b / f9 builds project without auto-uploading.

• cmd-alt-u / ctrl-alt-u builds and uploads (if no errors).

• cmd-alt-c / ctrl-alt-c cleans compiled objects.

• cmd-alt-t / ctrl-alt-t / f7 run other targets (Upload using Programmer, Upload SPIFFS image, Update platforms and libraries).

• cmd-alt-g / ctrl-alt-g / f4 cycles through causes of build error.

• cmd-alt-h / ctrl-alt-h / shift-f4 goes to the first build error.

• cmd-alt-v / ctrl-alt-v / f8 toggles the build panel.

• escape terminates build / closes the build window.

More options Menu: PlatformIO > Settings > Build.

Intelligent Code Completion¶

PlatformIO IDE uses clang for the Intelligent Code Completion. To install it or check if it is already installed, please follow to step 2. Clang for Intelligent Code Completion from Installation guide.

Smart Code Linter¶

PlatformIO IDE uses PlatformIO’s pre-built GCC toolchains for Smart Code Linter and rapid professional development. The configuration data are located in .gcc-flags.json. This file will be automatically created and preconfigured when you initialize project using Menu: PlatformIO > Initialize new PlatformIO Project or update existing....

Install Shell Commands¶

To install platformio and pio shell commands please use Menu: PlatformIO > Install Shell Commands. It will allow you to call PlatformIO from other process, terminal and etc.

Smart Code Linter is disabled for Arduino files¶

Smart Code Linter is disabled by default for Arduino files (*.ino and .pde) because they are not valid C/C++ based source files:

1. Missing includes such as #include <Arduino.h>

2. Function declarations are omitted.

There are two solutions:

void setup () {
    someFunction(13);
}

void loop() {
    delay(1000);
}

void someFunction(int num) {
}

#include <Arduino.h>

void someFunction(int num);

void setup () {
    someFunction(13);
}

void loop() {
    delay(1000);
}

void someFunction(int num) {
}

{
  "execPath": "...",
  "gccDefaultCFlags": "...",
  "gccDefaultCppFlags": "-x c++ -fsyntax-only ...",
  "gccErrorLimit": 15,
  "gccIncludePaths": "...",
  "gccSuppressWarnings": false
}

Arch Linux: PlatformIO IDE Terminal issue¶

Please read this article Installing PlatformIO on Arch Linux.

Keep build panel visible¶

PlatformIO IDE hides build panel on success by default. Nevertheless, you can keep it visible all time. Please follow to Menu: PlatformIO > Settings > Build and set Panel Visibility to Keep Visible.

Key-bindings (toggle panel):

• cmd+alt+v - Mac OS X

• ctrl+alt+v - Windows/Linux

Automatically save on build¶

If you want automatically save all edited files when triggering a build, please follow to Menu: PlatformIO > Settings > Build and check Automatically save on build.

Jump to Declaration¶

Click on a function/include, press F3 and you will be taken directly to the declaration for that function.

Code Formatting¶

You need to install atom-beautify package and C/C++ Uncrustify Code Beautifier.

Windows¶

1. Uninstall Atom using “Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features > Uninstall”

2. Remove C:\Users\<user name>\.atom folder (settings, packages, etc…)

3. Remove C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\atom folder (application itself)

4. Remove C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Atom folder (cache, etc.)

5. Remove registry records using regedit:

   • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

   • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

   • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shell

macOS¶

Run these commands in system Terminal

rm -rf ~/.atom
rm /usr/local/bin/atom
rm /usr/local/bin/apm
rm -rf /Applications/Atom.app
rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.github.atom.plist
rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.github.atom.ShipIt
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Atom
rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.github.atom.savedState
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.github.atom
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Atom

Linux¶

Run these commands in system Terminal

rm /usr/local/bin/atom
rm /usr/local/bin/apm
rm -rf ~/atom
rm -rf ~/.atom
rm -rf ~/.config/Atom-Shell
rm -rf /usr/local/share/atom/